Button attachment for sewing machines



Sept. 23, 1952 E. M. SHEVCHIK 2,611,332

BUTTON ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Dec. 6, 1950 IN V EN TOR.

47 7' OR V Y EF/M f4. Smsvcmx Patented Sept. 23, 1952 ATTACHMENT FORSEWING '-MACHINES BUTTON FFICE I Efi n M. Sllvchilt, Orange, N. J.

Application December 6, 1950, Serial No. 199,404

This invention relates to improvements in but.- ton attachments forsewing machines and re-. lates more particularly to such attachments asare used on power machinesemployed in the manufacture of garments.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a device whichhas a wall extending upwardly from the foot portion and having therein'a passage to receive the shank or stem of the button, so that as abutton is firmly held against this wall with its stem positioned in saidpassage, the stem is in the correct position to have the needle of themachine to pass vertically down through it. and the fabric to which thebutton is to be sewn, during one stroke and to have the needle cleartheend of said stem during the next stroke-,so that the length of thebundle of threads on the opposite face of the fabric is no longerthanthe spacingof the two paths of the needle.

Another-object of the invention is the provision of said upwardlyextending wall both as a firm.

support against which the buttons arepressed, and also as a safetydevice which positively prevents the fingers of an operator from gettinginto the range of the needle.

Yet another Object of the invention is the provision of an improvedsupport for the garment, or other work, beneath the foot of my device,which insures faster application of the buttons to the garment and thedisposal of the buttons in a neater array.

Another object of the invention is the formation-'of a single blank formwhich is adapted to be cut out to accommodate any given size and styleof button, so that as new styles, types, and size are encountered,devices embodying the features of the invention may be easily made up.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art upon a study of this specification and theaccompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings, which are given by way of example to teachothers to practice the invention;

Figure l is a perspective view of one form of button attachment of theprior art;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of another form of button attachment ofthe prior art;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of my improved device taken along the line33 of Figure 4;

I Figure 4 is an end elevation of my device taken along the line 4-4 ofFigure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevation as seen along the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a bottom view as seen along the line 66 of Figure 3; I

'5 Claims. (01. 112-108) Figure 7 is an end elevation as seen along-theline 1-1 of Figure 3;

Figure 8 is a plan view as seen along the line 88 of Figure 5;

Figure 9 is a sectional elevation taken along the line 9-9 of Figure 5;I 1

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a portion of a machine with myimproved device mounted thereon and showing a button positioned in.contact with the vertical wall thereof with its shank or stem positionedin the passage which extends through said wall;

Figure 11 is an elevation, partly in section, showing a button beingsewn on to a fabriaand showing my improved support for the garment-orother work; I

Figure 12 is .an elevational view, taken along the line l2-l2 of Figure11; V

Figure 13 is aside elevation of my improved work support; 1

Figure 14 is a plan view of the work support shown in Figure 13;

Figure 15 is a perspective view vice in blank form; 1

Figure 16 is a view of the opposite face of a piece of fabric after abutton has been applied thereto with my device; and

Figure 17 is a view of the opposite face of a piece of fabric after abutton has been sewn thereon utilizing the prior art device shown inFigure 2.

In the prior art there are two general forms of button devices. One ofthem is shown in Figure 1 and designated by the numeral 20.. It hasavertical plate portion Zlwhich is slotted for attachment to themachine, and a horizontal plate portion with a notch 23 therein toaccommodatethe stem or shank of the button, and aslot 24 communicatingtherewith for the needle. With this device, there is nothing to guidethe operator as to whether the button is straight or not, and also thereis nothing to keep the'fingers of the operator out of the path'of theneedle.

The other form is shown in Figure 2, and designated by the numeral 25.It has a vertical plate portion 26 which is slotted for attachment tothe 1 machine, and has a horizontal plate portion 21 formed integraltherewith. Extending downwardly from the left edge of the portion ZI'areparallel portions 28 and 29 with a space 30 between them. A slot 3| inthe portion 21 flares outwardly and joins thespace 30 which is widenedat 32 to accommodate the stem or shankof the button. With this device awork support; 33 in the form of a rod having a slotted end is employed.The fabric to which the button is to of my new de-- be sewn is shown at34 in Figure 2, and the reverse side of this fabric, after the button 35has been applied, is shown in Figure 17. The bundle of threads 36securing the button is not only objectionably long but it wastes thread.

In this form, the portions 28 and 29 do tend to guide the buttonstraight, but the position is awkward and there is nothing to preventthe operators fingers from getting into the path of the needle.

According to my invention, referring first to Figures 3 to 9 inclusive,my device 40 comprises an L-shaped member and a vertical plate portion31 having a vertical slot 38 formed therein for attachment to themachine. Formed integral with the portion 31 is a horizontal portion 4|which has a laterally extending slot 42 therethrough, through which theneedle passes to engage the shuttle. The portion 4| also has adepression 43 formed therein, centralized with respect to the axis ofthe slot.

Preferably formed integral with the horizontal portion 4|, although itmay be made of a sepa-- ratepiece of material secured thereto, is an.upstanding vertical wall 44 which has apassage 45 therethrough of ashape andsize to accommodate the shank or stem of the button. Since thecentral horizontal plane of this passage is substantially level with theupper surface of the portion' 4|, an extension 4541 of this passage 45is formed in the portion 4| and communicates with the depression 43, asmay be seen in Figure 9. In Figure the passage 45 isshown as somewhatovalin form, but'itwill be understood that this passage may be of anyother shape, to accommodate the shank of. any type or style of. buttonto be used.

A vertical slot 46 is formed in the portion 4.4, and it communicateswith the passage 45 and with a depression 41 also formed in the portion44.

This depression extends through the upper edgeof the portion 44, leavinga narrow web of material 41a and thereby providing ample clearanceforthe needle.

Referring toFiguresll and 12, I show one of my new devices describedabove, and its relative position with respect to a work supportv 50. Abutton 49 is placed on' the device with its shank 5| positioned in thepassage 45 with the hole 52 therein extending vertically in line withone path 53a of the needle. The needle when moving vertically alongitssecond path 53b clears the end of the shank 5|. It will be noted thatthe work 48 is horizontally disposed and consequently the length of thebundle of threads 54 (Figure 16) on the opposite face of the work isapproximately equal to the distance apart of the needle paths 53a and53b, and thereby a neater job is performed and a substantial sewing ofthread is effected.

Thework support 50, which may be also seen in Figures 13 and 14 ispreferably comprised of a stamping having an open slot 54 extending infrom one end, and oppositely disposed depending locating tabs 55 and 56.Adjacent to the other end is an elongated slot 5'! which extends axiallyof the support and provides clearance for the needle. On said last endis a depending tab 58, the inner'surface of which is beveled. This worksupport is secured on a shaft element 59 by means of a screw 6|, and dueto the slot 54, which rides the screw, the end 58 may be set in anydesired position relative to my device.

In Figure 15, I show my improved blank, designated by the numeral 60.The vertical plate 4 portion 3'! has the attachment slot 38 formedtherein, and the portions 4| and 44 are blank so that they may be formedto accommodate practically any type of button.

Although I have herein shown and described by way of example oneembodiment of my invention, it will be understood that many variationsin the device, shown and described, are within the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A foot for a button sewing machine comprised of an L-shaped memberthe bottom wall of. which is horizontally disposed and the other wall ofwhich extends upwardly, an attachment portion formed integral with saidbottom wall and disposed substantially with respect to both said walls,said walls and said attachment portion being formed of a single piece ofmaterial of uniform thickness, socket means extending laterally throughsaid other wall and. centralized on aplane substantially on the samelevel.

as the upper surface of said bottom wall, a clearance depression for aportion of said shank formed in said bottom wall, and needleclearanceslots formed in both said walls.

2. In a foot for a button sewing machine, a slotted vertical plateportion for attachment to said machine, a vertically disposed wallportion extending horizontally from said plate portion, at least saidplate portion and said wall portion being extremely rigid relative toone another. socket means for the shank of a button extending throughsaid wall portion, whereby a button may be firmly pressedagainst oneface of said wall-with its shank extending into said socket, avertically disposed passage formed in the opposite face of said wall-toclear a needle in said machine, and a horizontal plate formed integral.

with and forming a common support for both said plate portion and saidwall portion.

3. A work support for attachment on a button sewing machine, saidsupport having a fiat portion to be horizontally disposed in saidmachine, a mounting slot extending inwardly from one end of saidsupport, spaced depending locating tabs ad acent to said last end, aneedle clearance slot ad acent to the other end thereof and in axialalignment with said first slot, and a depending tab on the other end ofsaid support having its inner surface beveled.

l. A foot for a button sewing machine comprised of an L-shaped member,the bottom wall of which is horizontally disposed and the other wall ofwhich extends upwardly, an attachment portion formed integral with saidbottom wall and disposed substantially 90 with respect to both saidwalls, said walls and said attachment portion being formed of a singlepiece of material of substantially uniform thickness, a work support incombination with said foot including means for mounting the same on saidmachine, a flat horizontal web having a needle clearance slgt iOlIILedtherein, and a depending end tab a ap e o be set in alignment said otherwall. Wlth one face of 5. In a device of the character describ L-shapedmember having a base wall hori z ngl and having its other wall vertical,socket means to accommodate the shank of a button formed in part in saidvertical wall and formed in part in said base wall, needleclearanceslots formed in both said walls and lying on a common plane and anextension on said channel for attachment to a button sewing machine,both the walls of said channel and the extension all being ofsubstantial thickness to impart extreme rigidity thereto and allthicknesses of said walls and said extension being substantially thesame to make them immobile relative to one another.

EFIM M. SHEVCHIK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date I Collins Oct. 5, 18 86FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain 1892 Switzerland May 16, 1942

